Top Butchers In London

[SpikeyD]

I have to say I'm not convinced by William Rose - I had some dodgy lamb from them when they first opened in E. Dulwich. You'll do much much better from the absolutely delightful Mr Sparkes, who runs the mobile butcher on Northcross St (the market street off Lordship Lane) on Saturday. It's an offshoot of their shop in Blackheath. The pork is rare breed, and he has some of the best lamb I've ever had the pleasure to cook and eat. And most importantly, he's a real butcher, with proper cutting and tying skills. I know he can be a bit deaf and a tad slow, but you'll be overall no slower than waiting in the queue of baby tractors outside Rose. And you can get to chat about where the meat comes from. His sausages ain't bad, either - especially recommend the semi-dried Sicilian wild boar. Oh, and he takes cards.

[MobyP]

Interestingly the "standard" aberdeen angus often seems to have better marbling than the posh dry-aged stuff.

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Click.

[Jon Tseng]

Interestingly the "standard" aberdeen angus often seems to have better marbling than the posh dry-aged stuff.

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Click.

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Ah yes, I remember your notorious northfields farm marbled longhorn thing. very appetising it looked too.

I find occurence of uber-marbled beef (normally rib or ribeye) is entirely random. Sometimes waitrose have it, sometimes Northfields have, sometimes ginger pig (don't think I've every seen any of the really good stuff at farmer sharps before). At its best it gives that wagyu stuff a good run for its money, at least on the looks front.

I always guess there may be some some seasonal variation (wld you be more likely to have good marbling in summer maybe? dunno what impact eating grass vs. hay has?). No idea whether this is true or note.

ta

J

[Jon Tseng]

PS so where does one get this simmental beef from in london or is it only available if you have a special handshake or a eurostar ticket?

i seem to remember seeing it on the menu at the oh-so-francophile sketch but dont think i've come across it anywhere else

australian "wagyu" seems to be all the rage to be honest...

Edited December 8, 2006 by Jon Tseng (log)

[ravelda]

Jon, I have been able to get hold of it fairly regularly before through one of my suppliers - let me know if you want me to get a price and what cut, quantity, etc.

David

[Soapy Joe]

Theobald's (also known by their trade name McKenna Meats - you may see their vans delivering to some of London's top restaurants) is my local butcher.

I am no expert but the following are (imo) good signs:

1. They will prepare pretty much what you ask for. If you want an obscure cut they will get the carcass and prepare it for you, however long the queue is

2. There is usually a long queue (unless you get here at 5am when they have been open for an hour or so)

3. The queue is often made up of Chinese and African shoppers who want unusual cuts of meat and know that they will get top quality meats here.

4. A lot of the top restaurants use them as their sole meat supplier

5. They do the whole range from incredibly cheap offal and bog standard chicken breasts to organic free range chickens that cost more than a small flat in Hackney.

[origamicrane]

anyone know of any good butchers in the putney area?

[MobyP]

Randalls on Wandsworth Bridge Road.

[kerriar]

For almost 10 years Jack O'Shea's has been indisputably one of the best butchers shops in Brussels - they have recently opened a London branch in Montpelier Street.

If the name does not seem particularly Belgian, its probably because this family run business originates in Tipperary.

In a city with a strong informed food culture they have built up a reputation, supported by out-the-door queues for top end food from Ireland (dry aged beef, poultry, game, cheese, smoked salmon), Belgium (organic pork from the Ardennes), UK (Scottish beef, English cheese) and France (poultry, foie gras, etc). It's not the cheapest place in town but the quality is beyond reproach - it's run by serious people who are attentive to continuity and quality, putting a lot of work into sourcing suppliers and establishing long term working relationships based on full traceability.

The Brussels shop at Rue le Titien attracts media comments along the lines of

here

and

here.

I can't say anything about the London operation but would expect equally high standards - would be interested to hear any feed back but can only give a strong disinterested recommendation.

[origamicrane]

Randalls on Wandsworth Bridge Road.

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Thanks moby

went to have a look at Randalls today, very pretty

but prices are on the high scale (get what you pay for?)

I also walked passed Elizabeth King Butchers on New King Road

they looked pretty good anyone ever tried them?

Anyway I was hunting for a Bronze turkey for Xmas and checking prices

Randalls £11.50/kg

Elizabeth King £11.00/kg

Macken brothers £10.00/kg

[MobyP]

Randalls on Wandsworth Bridge Road.

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Thanks moby

went to have a look at Randalls today, very pretty

but prices are on the high scale (get what you pay for?)

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Yep.

Not always.

Very very nice Italian deli on the New Kings road called Ellie's or Elena's or something along those lines.

[Peter H]

Randalls on Wandsworth Bridge Road.

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Thanks moby

went to have a look at Randalls today, very pretty

but prices are on the high scale (get what you pay for?)

I also walked passed Elizabeth King Butchers on New King Road

they looked pretty good anyone ever tried them?

Anyway I was hunting for a Bronze turkey for Xmas and checking prices

Randalls £11.50/kg

Elizabeth King £11.00/kg

Macken brothers £10.00/kg

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I've just ordered one from Frank Godfrey. They tell me that it will be a free range bird from one of several of the farms they buy from and will have been raised from a Kelly Bronze chick (or whatever a baby turkey is called!). Price depends on weight, but is around £9/kg

[Stigand]

What's the story with Wyndham House?

I've occasionally bought things from their shop at Borough Market, and then recently noticed they had a branch tucked away behind the Tachbrook Street Market in Pimlico, where I got some good lamb neck and bacon. Then I saw they had a shop on the Fulham Road near Chelsea & Westminster hospital.

How many branches do they have nowadays? Are these recent openings? Has this affected their quality?